Two Friends, Two Years, Too Long Ago
by TheZettaFactor
Summary: After searching for N, Hilda finally returns to Unova with no results. However, Elesa sees through her facade and gives Hilda the resolve to get the reunion she's been striving for, but it's been two years since they've seen each other. What kind of reunion was Hilda expecting? (My first attempt at pseudo-romance)
1. Chapter 1

The same streets... The same Ferris Wheel too.

I looked around the park. Nimbasa City looked more or less the same; all that really happened was that there was more land added.

"Funny, what little can change in two years," I remarked to myself.

"So you've been here before?"

The voice startled me just a bit, but nonetheless I turned around in a composed fashion. "Yes, I have," I replied civilly. The person was too tall for me to see, as the hood I was wearing blocked my upper vision. "And you are?"

"The gym leader, Elesa," she introduced civilly.

I looked up a bit, but my forehead was still shadowed. "E-Elesa? Dang, what did you do to your hair?"

She blinked. Clearly, she didn't recognize me. "Have we met before?"

"M-More or less," I told her. "I challenged your gym in the past, but I doubt you would remember me; I was just a normal challenger.

Elesa started eyeing me a bit, so I lowered my head. Despite being well above her teenage years, she still seems to have grown a bit since I last saw her. She smiled. "Oh really? Perhaps I'd remember you if you weren't wearing that awfully large cloak," she retorted.

"I-I'm naked under here, so, uh... I'll just keep it on." A lie, but she didn't need to know that.

"Perhaps just the hood then?" she suggested. "Better I remember your face now, as opposed to when Emolga'nd can't remember anything," she said with a chuckle.

I turned my cheek so that she couldn't see me cringing. 'Did she take up comedy while I was gone? Because she's not very good...'

She feigned a sigh. "Oh well, I suppose some people just aren't very crowd-pleasing. Isn't that right," she claimed as she quickly swiped the hood off of my face before I could react, "Hilda?" She smirked.

I gave a late reaction slap to where her hand would've been, but obviously, it wasn't there any more. I quickly pulled the hood back over my head. I jerked my head left and right.

A few people looked my way, but fortunately, no one seemed to have identified me.

"You gave yourself away with the 'naked' line," claimed Elesa in a teasing tone. "But what are you doing with that crass article of clothing on? You aren't ugly, if that's your reason."

"I could care less how I look," I retorted, "but I just came back a few hours ago, and you don't have any idea how many people pestered me for a battle or to see Reshiram!" I vented in a low voice. "I basically started a riot in an alley in Castelia... Please, keep my return a secret!"

Elesa sighed. "But do you really have to wear that dirty old thing?

I pouted. Though she couldn't see my eyes, she knew that I was slightly irritated.

"Hm... Alright," she said hesitantly, "but you have to answer some questions of mine."

'Dang it... I was hoping to get started right away, but it can't be helped...' "Very well. Lead the way, your Highness."

"Here will be fine," she said, taking a seat on the bench next to me. "I doubt anyone will eavesdrop."

"Well, alright..." I replied unsurely, casually pulling the hood down a bit more.

"Luckily, we're in public, so I can't yell at you."

"I'll take my blessings."

"Where did you go?" she asked, levelling her voice. "Why'd you leave? Why didn't you tell anyone? Why're you back? And after so long? Does Cheren know that you're-"

"One at a time, Elesa," I cut in, sheepishly holding up a hand. I chuckled. "I went to the Sinnoh region, under the ex-champion Cynthia's recommendation," I explained. "You see, Ghetsis left me these three orbs, and Cynthia claimed that they were from the Sinnoh region."

Elesa nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So why is that so secretive?"

"It isn't," I admitted. "I just never saw a reason to bring it up. Plus, Xtranscievers don't work in other regions."

"But- Hmm... Finish first."

"I was using that as a guise to look for N," I admitted hesitantly. "I feel like... him leaving was my fault; letting him leave in such a bitter state was my mistake."

"But Alder and Cheren had forgiven him. And didn't you say that he left rather happy?"

"Yes, but... I still could have helped him somehow," I confided. "I didn't tell Alder or any of you because heck, I just became champion," I explained. "Everyone would've been against me leaving."

"I suppose..."

"I was actually supposed to come back as soon as I was done observing the orbs in Sinnoh, but it was then that I realized that I wanted to explore outside of Unova more, and I still didn't feel like I was ready to come back without N."

"Hilda... Do you have feelings for N?"

I shrugged. "Truth is, I don't know. As I started journeys in a plethora of regions, I ruminated on that fact. I definitely do like him as a friend, and that alone was enough to fuel my search, but..." I groaned. "I don't know how to explain it. After Ghetsis basically destroyed his spirit, I started to feel responsible for him. In what sense, I don't know, so I intended to find out, but..."

Elesa laid a supporting hand on my shoulder.

"I failed to find him," I stated ruefully. "Who knows what he's doing? If he's alone and hurting, it's my fault. Say Cheren or Bianca tried to take off; I'd probably convince him or her to stay before the takeoff, or even make my friend stay against his or her will, but... I let N go. Now I'm tortured with not knowing if he's happy with his decision or not."

Elesa stayed silent for a moment or two before grinning. "... Well, I did want to grill you more, but I just can't help it!" declared an ecstatic Elesa with a very cheeky grin. "Adding 'matchmaker' to my resume is just too tempting!"

"... What the heck are you going on about?"

"Two lovebirds reuniting after two years of searching for each other... Ah, Skyla would just die at such a story!"

"Hey, don't tell anyone else I'm here until I'm ready!" I snapped. "I promise, I'll tell'em all later, but please... let me do it myself so they won't kill me."

"But Hilda, they'll kill you either way..." pouted Elesa. "But back to the point; if you let me grill you later, I'll tell you just the info you need."

"Well, okay..." I replied with a lifted eyebrow.

"That Ferris Wheel there... I've heard that a certain green haired enigma shows up there every Friday."

'And today's Thursday...' My eyes widened. 'Did I finally find him?'

"I haven't seen him with my own eyes, but I only know of two people with green hair, and one of them is, well... senile."

'After two years...' I smiled; I stared at the Ferris Wheel with nostalgia. "Elesa, I don't know how to thank you... Except that if you're wrong, I'll have to kill you."

"..." Elesa scooted a bit away from me. "Yes, of course, but we have a deal; you still have an Xtransceiver, don't you? You call me as soon as your meetup is done."

I nodded. "Yes, of course."

Elesa giggled. "And don't worry, I won't wait u-uuAAAH!" Elesa fell off of the bench with a thump. "Ow!"

"Please, don't start rumors," I warned her with a coy smile.

* * *

Against Elesa's wishes, I still wore my cloak; I wouldn't want my reunion with a dear friend to be interrupted with the priorly used, "BATTLE ME WITH RESHIRAM!"

So ever since I woke up, which was ten minutes ago, I've been sitting on the same bench, waiting in the distance for that "green-haired enigma" to show up.

'Alright, so it's sunset. So what? I sleep in most of the time... maybe he'll still show up, or maybe I've missed him. Ugh... Only ten minutes in and the anxiety is killing me!' I impatiently kicked my legs, staring through the crowds of people.

And then I saw him; not his face, but his side profile weaving through the crowd and towards the Ferris Wheel. Two years and he had the same hat. Two years and he still wore the same attire. I wonder... has his face changed?

My heart pounded. 'It's finally time!' I practically bolted off of the bench and power walked my way through the crowd, muttering half-efforted apologies when cutting people off. I couldn't kill the grin I wore.

N's back was just a few arms' stretches away. He was staring up at the Ferris Wheel, like he was waiting for someone. Was that someone..?

I couldn't stop my smile from growing more. But then I stopped. He was turning.

"Rosa, you're here again," N said, a subtle smile on his lips.

A girl that made my trademark ponytail look puny twiddled with her fingers behind her back; she was standing on her toes and looked rather flustered. "Hehe... well of course I am! Riding alone is no fun, and as your friend, I have a duty to be here."

N looked straight at the Ferris Wheel; I couldn't see his face, but I can only assume that he was still smiling. "Right... So, shall we?"

"Rosa" faced the same way. "Of course! Just like every week."

And with that, they headed into the ride. I could see them through the glass, but neither of them were facing my direction as the ride headed up.

My eyes trailed their cart and I felt myself smile. 'N... I was chasing you because I was so sure that you still didn't trust humans. I didn't want you to be friendless and alone, but I clearly misjudged your trust.'

I turned around and started to walk away. 'The first time I rode this Ferris Wheel, you told me that you were the leader of a crime syndicate; then I tried to push you out of the cart once we hit the pinnacle of the ride. Since then, I tried to take you down, until Ghetsis made me realize that we had so much in common; then you left to be alone.'

I headed back for the same bench that I waited on, mindlessly weaving through the crowd and digging my Xtransceiver out of my bag. 'I thought you needed me, but you've found yourself a friend. I'm happy for you.' Then I cringed. 'But not for Elesa... I can already imagine the look on her face when I tell her that she can't add 'matchmaker' to her resume,' I thought with a mental chuckle.

* * *

End

* * *

Well, not sure if this is a oneshot or multi-chaptered, since I just typed the thing up on my phone... I'd be happy to continue this if people want it, but I kinda only wrote it for two reasons:

1) I wanted to assure my followers (or follower, I don't really know to be honest) that I wasn't dead.

2) I've been wanting to write other fics, but I don't have a computer anymore, so this was to keep me motivated until I get a new one.

If you want me continuing this as a multi-chapter fic and don't mind my half-baked attempt, leave a review telling me to keep going.


	2. Chapter 2

I slipped myself into the seat of a cafe booth way in the back; the cafe was relatively empty, but I couldn't be too sure. I would have much rather met up with Elesa someplace else, more private per se, but she was very insistent. Apparently talking about "this kind of stuff" in a cafe was "standard." Whatever that meant.

I was still wearing the same cloak. I got a few suspicious looks from the wait staff here, but it was worth it; while walking around the city, I heard rumors about "Champion Hilda" returning with the promise that if you defeated her, she'd give you a ride on Reshiram. Yeah, _riight_.

Someone slid into the booth across from me. "So, how was your reunion?" asked a very zealous Elesa.

"It didn't happen," I replied.

"Oh... So it wasn't him?" inquired Elesa. "I'm so very sorry for getting your hopes up."

I shook my head. "It was him," I assured her.

Elesa gave me a blank look, urging me to elaborate.

"I was looking for N because I was almost positive that he was alone and needed someone to bring him out of humane isolation," I explained, "but he seems to have made friends on his own, so me reintroducing myself would be kinda' pointless, don't ya' think?"

Elesa's blank look didn't go away. She stiffly shook her head. "No... Not at all..! Hilda! Didn't you dedicate two years of your life to finding this guy?!"

"Well, that's kinda exaggerating a bit," I retorted. "And, er... keep your tone down; we're getting some pretty nasty looks from that waitress."

"Well?!" she demanded

'Clearly she's not going to calm down...' I concluded. "I was kinda just journeying other regions and looking for him as a priority... it wasn't the only thing I was doing," I explained.

Elesa crossed her arms. "Yeah? Well how did it feel when you saw him but ignored him?"

"Bittersweet," I admitted, "but why are you so interested?"

"Because this is a romance story waiting to happen! I can't just sit here idle, Hilda! And also... I may have raved about it to Skyla last night..." she confided guiltily while turning away. "But don't worry, I kept you anonymous!

"..." I scowled. 'I'll have to kill her later...'

"Anyway, you said that I could grill you today."

'Changing the topic? Cool with me.' I nodded. "Fine. What do you need to know?"

My compliance must've taken her off guard, for she just stared at me for a moment. "Why didn't you come back to Unova sooner?" she finally asked.

"Because I was out exploring other regions," I answered simply.

"You left to look for N, you didn't call because Xtranscievers don't work..." she listed off to herself. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were leaving?"

"Because... I was so sure that everyone would refuse and try to talk me out of it," I admitted. "I just became champion, so everyone in the League would never let me leave, and Ghetsis had just tried to kill me, so my family and friends would be against me going off on my own." I nodded, signifyinh that I was done.

Elesa put some moments of thought into what to ask next, but evidently came up with nothing. "Well, uh... It seems that that's just about it," she said with the smallest bit of shock. "You've seemed to have answered my questions one way or another..."

"Yeah, so are we done here?" I asked. "I haven't been home in two years. Plus, I should really apologize to Cheren and Bianca for ditching them."

Elesa seemed a bit disappointed. "You still haven't spoken to Cheren?"

"No," I replied, "but why do you ask?"

"Cheren was more or less ready to pack up and go look for you," she informed me. "Had it not been for Alder, he would have left the region."

'A person chasing a person who's chasing another person... That would have been messy,' I thought guiltily. "What did Alder do to make him stay?"

"We were short on gym leaders and Alder saw what was needed in Cheren," explained Elesa.

"He became a gym leader?" I asked. 'Wow... good for him!' "When?!"

"A year ago," Elesa said stiffly. "You'd know that if you kept in contact with us! The League was worried too, you know!" berated Elesa. "The only reason why Skyla didn't bust in here and tackle you into a hug is because I kept you anonymous in my story..." Elesa gasped. "My love story! It's not dead!"

"It was never alive..."

"Of course it was!" she snapped. "You see, Cheren was pretty concerned with your leave... Maybe giving him a surprise visit can conjure up some intense emotions," claimed Elesa with a coy smile. "Then you don't end up boy-less!"

''Intense emotions'...?' I thought with oddity. "Look, I'm not interested in romance and if he's the same Cheren I know, he isn't either, but... if he's as worried as you claim, I could probably call him right now..." I reasoned, taking out my Xtransceiver.

Elesa practically jumped the booth to block the screen with her hand. "No! Surprise him in person," she demanded.

"... Well, alright," I agreed awkwardly. "I am kind of curious to see his gym anyway."

"Good!" Elesa beamed and told me all that I needed to know.

* * *

I had never been in this part of Unova before, but mainly because there used to be no gyms around here. Aspertia City itself was quaint; it was built up more than Nuvema Town was, but I still got the same homely feeling.

I noted while standing outside of Cheren's gym that It didn't look flashy in the slightest, and that I probably wouldn't have thought that it was a gym if it weren't for that carved statuette of a gym emblem.

When I stepped through the doors, I wasn't expecting to see a classroom setup with no teacher and kids gossiping to each other from across the room. Age ranged from what looked to be 5-7 years old. Curious pairs of eyes gradually found their way to me, who was still standing in the doorway; with that died the chatter.

"Hello... children," I greeted awkwardly. "Where may I find the gym leader?" 'And is this even a pokemon gym?'

"What do you want with Mister Cheren?" asked a young girl.

I chuckled. ''Mister Cheren'? I'll have to tease him about that later.'

"What's so funny?!" a young boy demanded.

"... Nothing. But I really need to pay him a visit, so-"

"What're you going to do to Mister Cheren?!" asked the same girl.

"Uh... nothing?"

"Oh yeah? Then how come you look so suspicious?!"

"Suspicious... Suspicious how?" I asked. 'Oh... the cloak,' I realized. 'I wanted to stay incognito, but I guess it wouldn't hurt.' I pulled down my hood. "See? I'm not suspicious."

"All you did is take off the hood!" a different girl accused.

"Well, yeah..." Then I realized that many of them were probably too young to recognize the champion from two years ago. "You see, I'm a good friend of... uh... 'Mister Cheren's' and I need to talk to him."

They all started murmuring to each other. Occasionally, a boy shot his head back to me as if he was making sure I made no sudden moves.

I pursed my lips. 'For a bunch of Kindergarteners, they're pretty, uh... defensive.'

"Okay," said the boy who kept shooting me looks. "Follow me!" With that said, he and half of his classmates strutted to the back door. As I followed, the rest of them trailed me.

The door led back outside where there were three standard battlegrounds and an overhead platform.

"Now! Do it now!" the boy screamed.

"Do what now?" I asked. My eyes flickered around. "Oh?"

Suddenly, the children started surrounding me in a circular formation. They each took a pokeball out and tried to size me up, despite being so tiny.

"What's this?" I asked with a smile twitching upwards. 'Did I just get ambushed by five year olds?' I couldn't help but to chuckle. "This is... not what I was expecting," I murmured to myself.

"Hey, what's so funny?!" asked another little girl. "This is serious!"

"Oh, um... sorry. But I don't think you want to battle me," I told them. "I'm also being serious. I need to see the gym leader."

Little cries of "NO!" and "NEVER!" filled the air followed by a plethora of red lights. The battlefield was suddenly filled with Patrats and Lillipups.

"Uh..." I started counting them, but then I realized something. 'These pokemon look like they've just been caught. Can they even battle? _Have _they even battled?'

"If you don't take out a pokemon, we'll attack you instead!" one of the "older" girls behind me threatened sassily.

With a raised eyebrow, I slipped my hand under my cloak and felt around for my pokeball belt. 'Gee, Cheren, what a great job you're doing.' "Boldore, come on out," I called out with only half the effort. "And be gentle," I whispered as he materialized.

"What did you just say?!"

"Oh, nothing. I promise."

I could've sworn I heard the girl growl. "Ready?! Together!" she demanded. "SCRATCH!" all of the children commanded at once. Their pokemon then began to close in on us.

Boldore looked up at me with an expression that indicated that he had felt no intimidation whatsoever.

"Yeah..." I agreed. "... Earthquake."

Before any pokemon could hit Boldore, the ground shook, and they all dropped like flies. Luckily, Boldore must have heard my request, so it wasn't hard for all of us to keep our balance and not fall down. Except for one kid. Oh well.

They all stared at me with gaping mouths and eyes the size of saucers. Then, silence ensued.

"Uh... Don't feel bad," I assured them awkwardly. "There was a very large level gap, so- Wait, kid, are you crying?!"

The boy who fell sniffled. "... No, you are!"

"... Well, okay..." I looked around at all the fainted pokemon. "So, if you could all just let me see your pokemon, I-"

"NOOO!" cried the little boy, and if on cue, almost every other kid started weeping or screaming while the rest just stared.

I was a bit set back. On my journeys, I've met some sore losers, but this was a pretty unique situation. I held my hands up defensively and spun around. "G-Guys, it was just a battle..." I tried to reason.

Boldore himself was feeling awkward too, as he nudged the pokeball in my hand.

"Quitter..." I muttered but went with his wishes and returned him to his pokeball.

They seemed to ignore me. I thought I heard one kid cry, "I don't want her to take my pokemon!"

I turned around to the source of the voice. "Wait, take your pokemon? I would never-" No one seemed to hear me, so I sighed and crouched down by the nearest Lillipup. 'Maybe I can show them that I mean no harm...' I thought as I searched through my bag for a revive.

"NO, LILLIPUP!" screamed a girl. "HELP!" With that, the children started pointing at me with fear-induced faces.

I smirked. 'I hate to admit it, but I'm kinda' enjoying this...'

I heard a door slam open from behind, so as a reflex, I pulled the hood back over my head. I've already had a couple of close calls today, and like heck I was going to let anyone recognize me.

The screaming dissolved into sniffles and an awkward atmosphere.

"Who are you?What have you done to these kids?!" asked a deep voice with a livid tone. "All of you... get your pokemon and get out of here!" he demanded. "And you! Don't move an inch!"

I gave a mental sigh. 'I just wanted to talk... Why am I the villain? Those kids ambushed me! I'm the victim!'

My field of vision flashed red as all of the fainted pokemon disappeared. I saw the feet of little children steering clear of me and leaving as fast as they could until-

"OW! Wh-What?" I rubbed my now-throbbing knee. "Kid, did you just kick me?!"

My response was seeing his fleeting feet running for his life. I attempted to sneak a peek at my perpetrator but a stern, "Not an inch!" interrupted that.

I pouted. "Aye-aye, sir..." I muttered. 'I wouldn't want to be arrested just one day after I came back...' "I swear, I didn't do anything to those kids."

"Save it, unless you want me to call the police at this second.." I heard the door close. "Stand with your hands up."

Begrudgingly, I complied. "What are you, a cop?" I asked. I turned around.

The person before me was a boy, or man, I couldn't tell, wearing a white button-down shirt. He had blue hair and quite the photogenic face despite his eyebrows scrunched up in anger.

"Now tell me, what were you doing in my gym?" he demanded, his voice just shy of yelling. "The whole city could hear those kids screaming!"

"Wait, _your_ gym?" I asked. 'It couldn't be...' "... Your name, _Kind Sir_?"

"I'm the gym leader of this city," claimed the unfamiliar person before me with a tinge of annoyance, "Cheren. Now tell me, what-"

"Cheren, what the heck?! Your face... it's different!" I gasped. I then held up my hands in defense. "I mean it's a good different, but-"

"Who are you?!" Clearly, he was a bit irked that his interrogation wasn't going through.

"What? You don't remember me..? Oh, wait..." I had just remembered that I was wearing a hood, so I slid it off. "Well?"

He stared at me blankly for a few seconds. He took a few steps forward. It took him a moment to recognize me. Once he did, all of his anger dispersed.

"... Hilda," he murmured; the way he spoke my name was as if he hadn't said it in years. His eyes widened with excitement and he gave a rare smile. He ran the rest of the distance and embraced me.

I was so surprised by Cheren's hug that I stumbled back a few steps. I patted his back once I gained ground. "Hey, when did _you _of all people become a hugger?" I teased.

Cheren groaned. "When you spend two years alone with Bianca and clingy five year olds, it rubs off on you..."

I laughed. "I bet. You're acting too giddy to be your old self."

"I hated it at first, but now it's become my nature..." complained Cheren. He pulled away but kept his hands on my shoulder, almost as if he didn't believe it was me. "You don't look that different," he observed.

"... Yeah, puberty hates me..." I muttered. "I'd think that I would've at least gained a few inches in height, but..." I sighed. "But puberty clearly _loves_ you; heck, Elesa could probably set you up with a few modeling gigs," I joked.

Cheren looked at me with his usual deadpan stare and scratched the back of his head. He seemed rather unamused at my comment. And _there _was the Cheren I left behind.

"We can catch up later, if you have the time," I offered.

Cheren nodded. "Yes, I'd like that."

"But first, can you tell me why toddlers tried to kill me?"

He nodded and started to take his leave.

"Wait, where're you going?"

"We're catching up _now_," demanded Cheren. "I'm not taking the chance that you'll disappear again."

I shrugged and followed him out. "Fair enough."

* * *

End

* * *

Yeah, so, typed this one up on my phone again. Good news if you follow my other story, because I am getting a new laptop soon which means that I'll be able to finally restart it. However, still not sure whether I'd finish this one, though, since I was only writing it to keep my motivation up.

By the way, thank you two reviewers for reading one of my stories after so long, and don't worry LadyMeiLian, I don't plan for Rosa to show up that often =P In fact, I plan to only make this under 10 chapters, so. And thanks to my new follower too.

Also, yes, love triangle because this is my first attempt at a love story, and what romance fic doesn't have a love triangle? Because, I swear, every fic does.


	3. Chapter 3

For the second time today, I was seated in an isolated cafe booth across from a friend that I had left behind.

"Yes, so about those kids," Cheren explained, "that's what I instructed them to do in case a suspicious person in a black outfit came into the gym."

"That's oddly specific," I commented. "What's wrong with black?"

Cheren crossed his arms. "Not too long ago, Team Plasma came back."

"Huh?" I narrowed my eyes. "You're joking, aren't you?"

Cheren shook his head. "No, but don't fret. The crisis was averted a few weeks ago. Despite that, some grunts have managed to miss the memo."

I cursed under my breath. "I thought I put an end to them... some 'Hero of Truth' I turned out to be. But wait, does that mean N was..?"

Cheren held up a hand. "Let me explain; this time, it was all Ghetsis. They completely gutted the 'pokemon liberation' facade. They also lost their old uniforms and changed the color to black."

"Ah... so that's why those kids tried to jump me," I grumbled, followed by a sighed. "But... I still can't help but feel responsible."

"It was never your duty to disband a terrorist organization," assured Cheren. "They didn't even make any moves until recently, so no one anticipated this."

I laid an elbow on the table and rested my head. "Yeah, sure..." I muttered. "But on a side note, who took'em down? You?"

Cheren rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As a gym leader, I couldn't leave often. After all, I had challengers coming in from around the region and had to protect the city in the case of an emergency." He looked up. "Now I regret blaming the gym leaders for not taking down Team Plasma back then... But a new trainer took them down this time, with her friend too."

"Oh, really? Maybe I can spar with her later. What's her name?"

"Rosa," answered Cheren. "Actually, she's the new champion."

It clicked. 'The girl with N...'

Cheren noticed that I had spaced out. "Do you know her?"

"Oh, uh... I just think I've seen her around," I replied with a wave.

"Ah, I see." Cheren paused for a second to stir his drink that apparently came without me noticing. "Interesting bit; the last time I spoke with her, she had the Dark Stone."

I felt a pit in my stomach. "What?"

"Yes, I was shocked too," claimed Cheren, "more so when she told me N gave it to her."

I sat back. "Why would he do that..?"

"Apparently, N didn't feel worthy of Zekrom and thought she was," he explained. "I don't know if Zekrom woke up for her, however; I'll probably ask about it."

I nodded. 'I see... if N feels that way, maybe he does need some help after all.'

"But enough about that; I still have a lot of questions for you."

* * *

After explaining why I left, I made Cheren swear to secrecy that he wouldn't tell anyone that I had returned; even Bianca. I wanted to confirm to myself that Rosa really had the Dark Stone before I was ready to take the heat about my disappearance act from everyone else.

My plan was to stalk around the Ferris Wheel prior to N and Rosa's apparently weekly meetups. It was simple; I intervene Rosa before she makes it to N and ask if it's true. Of course, I coild just ask N himself, but I didn't want to risk him finding out who I was. I had already made my decision on the matter and I was going to stand by it. This meant laying low until Friday.

I couldn't go home yet, as Mom would surely call every one, be that Professor Juniper and Bianca. I wouldn't have minded camping out again, but Cheren insisted that I crashed at his gym.

My little side mission would probably be easier to pull off by asking, say... Alder, but I wanted to actually see the stone for myself. There was also the fact that the potential region-wide hype of me returning could interfere with my plans, as I would be presented with a busy schedule from my friends and "collegues" to apolgise for leaving them standing. That, and I was getting a kick out of wearing this cloak, even if it did cause me a minor injury.

To kill time, I had went to Opelucid City, hoping to walk through Route 10 again. Some of my fondest memories came from there; the angst of getting to the champion before N, the feeling of the sun setting on on my skin, the sky turning orange...

But no. It was closed for construction.

So after nearly wrestling some construction workers to get past the barricades, I decided to find another way into the Pokemon League. I didn't know where that was either, so I settled for flying to the Pokemon League itself and then backtracking to Victory Road.

I was expecting to see the same old mountain maze, but apparently, that was what caused the landslide that killed Route 10, so in a huff, I explored the new Victory Road.

Another thing I didn't expect to see was that a good portion of it was created out of the underground ruins of N's Castle. Admittedly, it was a fitting and creative idea, but I was surprised that the League would be that gutsy to actually use it, or even have the idea to use it.

There were trainers there like always, and I did make eye contact with them, but luckily my attire made all of them too wary to approach me for a battle.

I was left to explore the castle ruins to my heart's content. I searched for what was there and what wasn't. The place, even in ruins, still felt grand.

'The place looks like it's been down here for ages,' I thought while experimentally running a finger over the wall. 'These walls used to be such a vibrant color, but all of the paint has eroded off.' I observed my finger, now caked with dirt and dust. Memories of running through these halls with walls that looked like the night sky resurfaced. I noticed something from the corner of my eye and turned my head.

There was a girl who looked a bit shocked, but then quickly turned around and started to power walk away. It wasn't too dark down here, but I couldn't see her too clearly. I noticed that she seemed caught off guard.

'Was she just watching me?' I turned my body in her direction. 'Better make sure she's not reporting a suspicious figure,' I thought jocosely. "Wait."

The girl halted and reluctantly turned around. "I was just passing through, haha..." she claimed awkwardly. "Are you lost? I was wondering because you're, um..." She hid her hands behind her back in embarrassment. If it hadn't been obvious before, it was clear now that she _was_ watching me. Then I recognized her giant hairstyle.

"... By any chance, are you the champion?"

"O-Oh, yeah, I am!" she claimed, scratching the back of her head. She smiled. "How'd you know?"

"Your hair," I pointed out.

"Haha, right..." She petted one of her hair buns and walked over. "I'm Rosa. Nice to meet you!" She held out a hand.

I shook it. "Hi-_ello_..." 'I'll introduce myself formally after I get some answers.' I cleared my throat. "So, what're you doing in Victory Road?"

"A friend and I sometimes meet up here for a battle," she explained. "Are you on your way to challenge the Pokemon League? If you are... then good luck!"

I shook my head. "No," I answered, "I tried my luck at the League before."

She cocked her head to the side. "Oh? Then what are you doing in Victory Road?"

"It's different from when I last came here. Apparently, Team Plasma's old castle makes up Victory Road now, so I've been exploring," I explained. "I'm not lost, just curious." I paused. "Actually... I had been meaning to ask you a question."

"Really?" she looked puzzled. "What?"

"This could be a mere rumor, but do you have the Dark Stone?" I asked.

Rosa had evidently not been expecting that question. "Oh... so people know?" she asked shyly. "I guess that's okay, but I didn't want to attract _too _much attention."

I shook my head. "No, I simply heard it from a friend of mine. Mind me asking, but how did you come by obtaining it?"

"Well, I'm sure that you've noticed Team Plasma's revival in the past few weeks," she began, "but they're no longer a threat."

"By you, right?"

She turned her cheek and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, but I wasn't alone; I got so much help, and one of those people was named N."

'So N actually had a hand in Team Plasma's downfall?' I nodded, urging her to continue on.

"Oh, you must know of him then," she observed. "Did you know that he had Zekrom? It isn't really a secret, but it's not like it was really advertised." After a pause, she continued on. "After Team Plasma was defeated and I beat the Pokemon League, N battled me and then gave me Zekrom, who turned into the Dark Stone."

"I don't understand why though..." I murmured to myself. 'N had a clear bond with Zekrom... and I doubt that he'd hand over a legendary pokemon without a good reason.' I quickly realized that what I had said aloud might have been seen as an insult. "N-Not that you're undeserving, but why would he give up Zekrom?"

Rosa didn't look offended. "I don't know myself," she admitted. "When I asked, he had said that he didn't see a need to confine Zekrom anymore. Apparently, he had no more ideals to pursue and that he was ready to let go of his past entirely, except for a few words meant for a friend of his. He said that I had acted like an ideal Hero that wouldn't waste Zekrom's talents."

"So Zekrom reawakened for you?"

She nodded. "I don't know what ideal I have, now that I've accomplished all of my goals, but maybe that's the point..? Oh, sorry! I've rambled on, hehe..." she apologized.

I shook my head. "Not at all," I assured her. "So N... does he seem alright? You did say that he let go of his past and ditched his ideals."

"Yes, he did, but not in a bitter way," she explained. "He decided to let go of his mistakes, and even some of the nice people he's met in order to justify his right to keep going on. Apparently, he doesn't want to bother them anymore. I don't really get it, but he seems confident in this ideal." Rosa paused. "He said that after realizing that his first ideal was made of ignorance, he'd stop his own hand from obtaining a new one, but it looks like he just a new one by the sound of it," she said to herself with a smile.

'N's happy, Zekrom wasn't given out on a whim... I guess I'm done then,' I decided. 'But just for fun...' "Hey, Rosa... would you like to battle?"

"A battle? With you?" she repeated. She scratched the back of her head again. "You see, I would have accepted, if I wasn't about to head into a battle now, eheheh..." she apologized

I held up a hand to assure her that nothing was wrong. "No, I'm sorry for asking; you told me that earlier and I had forgotten."

Something occurred to her. "Actually, the friend I'm meeting up with is none other than N! Since you're so interested in him, maybe you would like to watch our battle?" she offered.

'N's here somewhere?' I looked around. 'Well... I probably should have seen that coming. It is his castle.' I shook my head. "I wouldn't want to intrude, but the offer is well appreciated." 'I'll leave N to pursue his own ideals.' I turned to take my leave. "Thank you for answering my questions."

"Yes, of course! Oh, wait! I didn't get your name," she realized.

I turned back and smiled. "It's..." I paused. 'Rosa's meeting up with N, and the last thing I want to do is have her reveal that she met a girl named Hilda down here...' "Bianca."

"Well, Bianca, maybe we can battle some other time if you're up for it," she suggested. "Do you have an Xtransceiver?"

"Oh, um..." I dug through my satchel and took it out.

Rosa took it from me and started typing away. "Feel free to call me anytime! You seem like an interesting person... you remind me a lot of someone," she said, trailing off to herself. She handed me back my Xtransceiver.

I nodded. "Will do." I started walking away.

"Oh! And... I'm sorry for staring at you earlier," she threw out. "It was dark, and although Team Plasma's not really active anymore-"

"-My attire made you think that I was a grunt?" I finished for her. I chuckled. "There's no need to worry, you wouldn't be the first; I'm just glad that you didn't jump to a conclusion and kick me in the knee."

* * *

End

* * *

Well... not much to say about this story. If you've been following me for a while and don't read my profile, a Hidden in the Crypts rewrite is in the works, and I hope to get it out within a week. Oh, and LadyMeiLian, hopefullu this convinced you to not want to kill Rosa XD (But if it didn't, I don't have any plans to have her show up in person after this =P)

Laura : Thanks for dropping a review. You're not alone on choosing Cheren though. Some other guy said that he/she was undecided. I think people pair her with n because they like N better. I actually didn't even realize the usual love triangle outcome until you pointed it out. Cheren never gets with Hilda while N is there, lol.

Mayshen : Well, what if I said that Hilbert's going to show up and make this a love square? Well, it's not going to happen, so I have no idea why I asked that. Thanks for following, favoriting, and beware the killer toddlers.


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